


Confused and Amused

by sandersonsister



Category: The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drama & Romance, F/F, F/M, M/M, Not nice Teresa, Pining Newt, Sexuality Crisis
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-28
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2019-06-17 17:39:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15466620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sandersonsister/pseuds/sandersonsister
Summary: Thomas didn't know what to think when he woke up beside his best friend after a night of drinking. What he does know is that he has a girlfriend and he isn't going to let it happen again. And he isn't going to let it end his friendship, either. The best thing to do is pretend it never happened. Right?





	1. Chapter 1

It came back in flashes. The two of them had decided to go back to their hometown for the long weekend. Thomas’s mother had been complaining that she hadn’t seen him since he left for college and she was ecstatic that he had reunited with Newt, his childhood best friend, while he was there. She wanted to see him. So the two had made the three hour journey.

 

But they had arrived later than expected and Thomas’s mother hadn’t been there to greet them. She had been called into work at the last moment but would be back in the morning. So, Thomas and Newt had decided to head to a local restaurant that they had frequented when Newt had lived in the area. While there, they had run into a pair of girls a few years older than them. They girls had said they were just in town for the night and had asked Thomas and Newt if they wanted to join them in their room for a drink.

 

Thomas, despite having a girlfriend, had accepted. After all, it was alright to look and have a bit of fun. It wasn’t as if he was going to let it go any further than that. He saw the brief scowl cross Newt’s face but he just threw his arm over his best friends shoulder and gave him a smile. Newt had relaxed under the touch and nodded his head.

 

So, they went across the street to a local hotel and joined the girls for a few drinks. They had both been a bit tipsy when one of the girls, the one with dark hair, suggested that they play a game. Newt had protested when the redheaded girl suggested truth or dare but he was outvoted. It was Thomas that dared the dark haired girl to kiss her friend. She did so. And then she retaliated.

 

Thomas remembered the way Newt shook his head when Thomas leaned in to kiss him. He had just smiled at his friend reassuringly and pushed their lips together quickly before pulling away. It was fast enough that it couldn’t really even be called a kiss. And the girls called him on it. After all, he had insisted on a deep kiss between the two of them. So he had sighed and leaned toward his best friend yet again. This time, he tilted his head and pressed more firmly against the blond. Newt had been unresponsive at first but, after a second of Thomas’s coaxing, had begun to return the kiss.

 

Something in Thomas’s stomach had exploded as the other boys lips moved against his own.

 

He told himself it was because of the alcohol.

 

And then Newt was pulling away. Not only did he pull away from Thomas, he moved so his back was resting against the bed, leaving more open space between them than what had been there previously. Thomas eyed the space with distaste as the girls laughed.

 

The game finished quickly after that and the girls began to pour shots. At some point, Thomas wasn’t even sure when, the two had stood and said they were going to get more to drink. Thomas nodded as the door closed and crawled over to sit beside Newt, his body topping into the blond as he tried to rest against the bed. Newt had laughed and said his name, the familiar voice saying, “Tommy,” had made him smile. And then Thomas gave Newt the bottle of Vodka he had been holding.

 

He didn’t remember much after that.

 

He remembered lips pressed against his own.

 

Hands trailing over his body.

 

He remembered a voice gasping his name.

 

And he remembered feeling as if he had finally figured something out. Something that had been eluding him for a long time.

 

But, when Thomas woke the next morning and pieces of the night before began to spill into his head, he couldn’t remember what that something was.

 

He groaned, holding his head in his hands. He needed Tylenol and water. He wondered if Newt felt as bad as he did.

 

Newt.

 

Thomas sat bolt upright and looked around the room, despite the fact that he action made him nauseous. He was still in the hotel. He hadn’t gone back to his house the night before.

 

He could feel the stiff sheets on his naked form.

 

Wait.

 

He glanced down and felt his eyes widen. Shit. He really had done this. He really had sex the night before when he had a girlfriend waiting for him back home. Hesitantly, he turned his head to see which of the girls was sleeping beside him. And to see where his best friend and the other girl were. Maybe in the other bed? Or had Newt abandoned him and headed to Thomas’s house?

 

But it wasn’t a girl in bed with him.

 

Thomas’s mouth dropped and he quickly pushed himself away from his best friend. He toppled off the bed, the loud crash waking the blond. “Alright there, Tommy?” Newt asked, his voice slurred. Thomas could only stare at him with panicked eyes as he peaked over the side of the bed. “Why’re you on the floor?”

 

Thomas could only open and close his mouth, words not able to escape. He saw Newt blink a few times, trying to clear the fog from his brain, before he finally seemed to take in what he was seeing. Thomas, naked, on the floor. Obviously he had fallen out of the bed. Newt’s eyes seemed to stare at him in incomprehension for just a moment before he looked down at himself. He cursed loudly and pushed away from the edge of the bed, throwing the blanked to the floor as he did so. Thomas quickly wrapped the blanked around himself and stood. Newt was already standing on the other side, the sheet wrapped around his middle.

 

“What the hell did you do?” Thomas finally asked, his voice low as he looked toward his best friend.

 

Newt jaw dropped. “Me? You were the one bloody well forcing alcohol down my throat!”

 

“Yeah, but I’m straight!”

 

“Apparently not so much!” Newt snapped back, gesturing toward himself and Thomas. Thomas glared furiously at the words. He was drunk. It didn’t count if he was drunk! Newt sighed and rubbed at his head. “Look. We were drunk, alright? No one is to blame. It just…happened.”

 

“It shouldn’t have.”

 

“Yeah, well, it did!” Newt growled, bending down to grab his shorts. “If it bothers you that much, just forget about it. We’ll act like it never happened,” he added bitterly.

 

Thomas scowled fiercely at the boys tone. He knew that tone. That was the tone Newt used when he thought Thomas was overreacting to something. Or when he thought Thomas was being an idiot. “Right. I’m not dealing with this right now.” He grabbed his own clothes and dressed quickly, ignoring the blond on the other side of the room. “My mom’s probably at the house. Just…leave me alone today, alright? My head’s killing me and I don’t want to think about it.”

 

“Right. I suppose I’ll just go back home.”

 

“Are you insane? My mom would kill me if you don’t come with me,” Thomas muttered. He looked around the room with a frown. “Hey, where did those girls go?”

 

“No clue,” the British boy snapped. “Don’t care.”

 

“You have no right to be pissy,” Thomas yelled as Newt opened the door and began to walk down the hall. “If anyone should be angry, it’s me!”

 

“Shut up, Thomas!”

 

Ouch.

 

Thomas could count on one hand the times Newt had called him Thomas.

 

That, more than anything, showed Thomas just how affected Newt was by what had happened the night before.

 

“Whatever,” Thomas muttered, lowering his head into his hands. It was pounding and he really didn’t want to deal with any of this mess.

 

This mess being the fact that he apparently had sex with his best friend.

 

His best friend who was a man.

 

What the hell had happened the night before?

 

One thing was for sure, it was never going to happen again. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad that people seem interested in this story! I hope you enjoy the new post. Let me know with comments and kudos! :)

Newt was waiting for Thomas outside his house, probably reluctant to see Thomas’s mother without him. Thomas barely spared him a glance as he pulled out his key and opened the door. The smell of a home cooked breakfast washed over him and his stomach turned in protest. “Thomas? Is that you?” his mother rounded the corner, a bright smile on her face. The smile faded slightly when she saw him. “Were you drinking?”

 

“Save the lecture, please,” he moaned. His mother’s lips tightened by she hurried forward and pulled him into a warm hug.

 

“I have food on the table. Eggs.”

 

He nodded slightly and pulled away. His mother’s eyes wandered over his shoulder and her smile returned full force. “Newt!” Thomas turned his head slightly to see Newt shifted awkwardly in the doorway. He smiled slightly when Thomas’s mother stepped up beside him. “Oh, just look at you! So handsome!”

 

“Nice to see you again, Donna,” Newt said softly, the first thing Thomas had heard since he stormed out of the hotel earlier that morning. Donna, Thomas’s mother, laughed loudly and threw her arms around Newt, pulling him against her. Newt’s eyes widened for a moment but he raised his own arms to wrap around her gently.

 

“Oh, both my boys! Together again and back home! I was so excited when Thomas told me that you were attending the same school!”

 

Thomas shifted his eyes away. He had been as well. Newt had moved to the area from London when they were ten. The two boys had instantly clicked and been glued at the hip throughout junior high. But, when they were fourteen, Newt’s father had been transferred and the family picked up and moved just in time for high school. Though the two had promised to keep in touch, neither of them were very good at it. Within the first six months, all forms of communication had stopped.

 

It had been a shock to Thomas to see Newt walk into his first ever college class. Newt had been just as surprised. They had fallen back into old routines with a few new friends along for the ride.

 

“Now, go eat something! Newt, you remember where the guest room is, yes?” Newt nodded. “Good! You both look like you need some more sleep. I have no idea what you two got up to last night but this isn’t any way to great your mother!” Thomas felt himself flush and it took everything he had not to look toward Newt in a panic.

 

“Thank you, Donna,” Newt drawled as he limped past Thomas into the kitchen.

 

Thomas inwardly cursed as he did so. Before he moved, Newt had been on the track team with Thomas. Thomas had asked his friend if he was joining the team now that they were in college but Newt had shaken his head and pulled up his pant leg to reveal a mass of scars. He told Thomas he had been in an accident his sophomore year of high school and couldn’t play any longer. The limp was mostly concealed unless he over did it.

 

Thomas assumed that last night was overdoing it.

 

Unless he was limping because…

 

He shook his head to make the thoughts go away and followed after him to the kitchen. Newt was already seated, eggs on his plate and a cup of coffee in hand.

 

Breakfast was awkward. Donna asked them both questions about school and their friends, about the part time job Newt had at the campus bookstore. They both answered her, Newt with a smile and Thomas with rolled eyes. Thomas wondered if she realized that he and Newt hadn’t said a word to each other the entire time. From the way her eyes were darting back and forth, he figured she did.

 

Newt excused himself soon enough and Thomas tried to watch him, discretely, as he limped toward the stairs. He winced as he watched Newt lean down and rub his leg for a moment before he began to use the handrail to pull himself up.

 

“Did you two have an argument?” Donna asked as Newt disappeared.  

 

Thomas winced. “Something like that.”

 

She sighed deeply. “What did you do?”

 

“What makes you think it’s something I did?”

 

“Because that boy has always gone out of his way for you and you don’t think twice about it!”

 

Thomas scowled and finished his coffee. “I’m going to sleep.”

 

Donna raised an eyebrow. “Fine. Ignore me all you want. Remember, I have the night shift tonight so I won’t be here until morning.”

 

“I remember.” Thomas made his way upstairs and paused momentarily in front of the closed door of the guest room. He wondered if he should go in and talk to Newt, maybe see how his leg was doing, but, well, he really didn’t feel ready for that yet. For any type of conversation. So he continued on, past the bathroom and into the next door on the right. Everything was exactly how he left it. Even the pen he had knocked to the floor when he was moving boxes was still lying by his desk.

 

Thomas made his way to his bed and buried his head in the pillow. It had been a hell of a night – what he could remember, anyway – and his head was pounding too much for him to actually think about what had transpired.

 

He managed to sleep for a few hours. When he finally managed to get out of bed, he felt a lot more like himself. After taking a shower and getting ready, he once again found himself hesitating in front of Newt’s door. He took a deep breath. This was ridiculous. They had agreed to act like it didn’t happen. To forget about it. He knocked.

 

No response.

 

Thomas’s brows furrowed and he slowly pushed the door open. It was empty.

 

Thomas hurriedly made his way downstairs and looked around the house. No one was in sight. With a ball of anger slowly forming in his chest, Thomas went back up the stairs and into the guest room. Well, at least his bag was still there so he hadn’t left. But where was he? Shouldn’t he have at least tried to wake Thomas? Or let him know somehow where he was?

 

Thomas’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a doorbell. Wondering if it was Newt, Thomas swiftly moved toward the door and pulled it open.

 

It wasn’t Newt.

 

It was a girl with dark hair, big blue eyes, and pale skin. A girl who was smiling broadly as she looked at Thomas. “Teresa!” Thomas gasped, panic filling is system as he looked at his girlfriend. His girlfriend who should be three hours away at college. Not standing on his doorstep while Thomas was facing a crisis.

 

“Surprise!” Teresa said, throwing her arms around Thomas and pressing their lips together. Thomas didn’t respond, too confused as to why his girlfriend was currently here. Now.

 

How did she even know where he lived?

 

“What are you doing here?” Thomas blurted out as Teresa pulled away from him.

 

Her smile grew. “Well, today is our one month anniversary! Since you came back home, I thought I would surprise you.” Thomas gave her a shaky smile. One month anniversary. And she came to his house. Three hours away. “I went to your apartment first and Minho said that you were here. He gave me this,” she pulled out a black cell phone and Thomas’s eyes widened. “Always so forgetful.”

 

Thomas hadn’t even realized he didn’t have his phone. “Ah, thanks,” he muttered as he took it from the girl and placed it in his jean pocket.

 

“I told Minho that I was going to surprise you and he told me where to go. So, surprise!”

 

Thomas slowly nodded. “Yeah, I’m very surprised.” _And going to kill Minho_. Minho and Thomas had met during their first year of high school, right after Newt moved. The two had become friends, having run track together. They were now roommates and close friends. Nowhere near as close as he and Newt, but still close.

 

 _Of course, none of your friends are as close to you as Newt is now,_ a voice in his head mocked. “I thought we could spend the day together, since it’s our anniversary,” Teresa said silkily, her hand running down Thomas’s arm. Thomas swallowed hard. He had come here with Newt. Newt who was currently missing. Newt who he still wasn’t completely sure he wanted to see.

 

“Uh, yeah. Let me grab my wallet and we can walk around or something,” Thomas muttered. Teresa smiled once again and followed him in the house. It was then that Thomas realized that she was wheeling a suitcase behind her. He stopped and blinked at it. “Uh, are you-“

 

“I thought I could stay here and travel back home with you. That’s alright, isn’t it?”

 

Thomas didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t tell her no, it wasn’t alright and that she needed to leave. But he also just… she was going to meet his mother. And stay in his house. With Newt. “I, well, we only have one spare room that Newt’s using…”

 

“I’ll stay with you.”

 

Thomas shook his head instantly. “No way. My mother would blow a fuse. You can have my bed, I’ll sleep on the couch or something.” Teresa pouted but didn’t say another word about it. Thomas was thankful. His mother was already going to be irritated about an unexpected guest. He didn’t need to add that onto it as well. He grabbed his wallet and house key. “Alright, let’s go.”

 

The two walked around the small town, Thomas pointing out areas to Teresa. That’s the place I broke my arm. That’s where Newt and I got attacked by these bullies in junior high. That’s where Newt fell out of a tree. That’s where Newt and his sister had this huge screaming match and I had to pull them apart. Teresa seemed interested in the stories, commenting that Newt was in most of them. Thomas just shrugged and avoided her gaze. “Best friend,” was all he replied.

 

They were walking toward the high school, past the restaurant that he and Newt had been to the night before, which was across from the hotel they had woke up in this morning, when a loud voice called his name. Thomas turned his head and felt his eyes widen in shocked horror when a girl their age with blond hair and dark eyes waved at him from the patio of the restaurant. Sitting across from her was another blond that seemed to be hiding his face in his hands.

 

When the hell did Sonya, Newt’s twin sister, get here?


	3. Chapter 3

Okay, so Thomas would be the first to admit that it wasn’t his finest moment.

 

But, well, the second he saw Sonya there, staring at him with a huge smile on her face and her arm around madly, Thomas didn’t know what to do. So he reacted on instinct.

 

He ran.

 

He ended up backing away until he was sure he wouldn’t be seen and then turned and jogged down the street before crossing over and ducking into an alleyway between two buildings. He took a deep, steadying breath as he leaned against the side of the building. Damn. Theresa was going to be furious. He had just left her there without a word. And Sonya, well, who knew what she would do. He’d known her as long as he’d known Newt, after all. She was like his sister.

 

…his sister…

 

Funny how he didn’t think of Newt like his brother.

 

Footsteps made Thomas’s shoulders tense and a moment later his mouth was dropping open as a familiar figure ducked into the same alleyway.

 

Of course he would come here.

 

This is where they used to run from their parents when they were in trouble, after all.

 

It was probably a habit at this point.

 

Newt came to a stop and glanced over his shoulder before letting out a deep sigh and facing forward. He met Thomas’s eyes instantly and Thomas saw his best friend freeze. Tension rose between the two and Thomas pulled his eyes away from the blond. He had no idea what he was supposed to say or do. Should he…he should say something. But…well, Newt was the one that was gay. Not Thomas. Did that mean he had…planned what happened? He couldn’t imagine his best friend doing something like that but what other explanation was there? Had he just been waiting for the opportunity? Did…did Newt have _feelings_ for Thomas?

 

More footsteps. Thomas’s head snapped up as the thoughts faded from his mind. “Newt, what the hell are you-“ she broke off. “oh. Thomas. What are you two doing here?” Sonya asked as her brother turned on his heel to face her.

 

Thomas avoided Newt’s gaze and Sonya’s eyebrows rose as she looked from one boy to the other. “Is there something going on between you two?”

 

“No!” Thomas replied quickly, shaking his head. “No, everything is fine.”

 

Sonya didn’t look like she believed him. She turned to her brother, her face demanding an answer. Newt stared back defiantly. “I needed a cigarette.”

 

“I was going to join him,” Thomas said, latching onto the excuse helplessly.

 

Sonya rolled her eyes. “Thomas, you don’t smoke. Newt, you stopped a month ago when Thomas threw all of them out because he thought it was disgusting.”

 

Right. He did that. And Newt had been irritated but had promised to stop if it annoyed Thomas so much. As far as he knew, the other boy hadn’t smoked since. Unless he was doing it when Thomas wasn’t around.

 

…which seems like something you would do for someone you liked. Right?

 

“Thomas! There you are. I was looking for you!” Thomas inwardly groaned as Theresa came to a stop beside Sonya. She frowned at both Newt and Sonya in confusion. “Sorry, I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Theresa.”

 

Sonya’s eyes lit up. Newt, on the other hand, seemed to take a step back. “Oh! Thomas has mentioned you. The new girlfriend.” She held out her hand. “I’m Sonya. Thomas and I have been friends since we were born, basically.” Theresa smiled brightly and moved a step forward to shake hands with the blond.

 

“Thomas has mentioned you. You have a twin brother, right?”

 

“Newt’s a bit shy,” Sonya said with a smirk.

 

“I bloody well am not,” Newt snapped from behind his sister and Thomas felt something in his chest jump at the words. He glanced up at Theresa before looking away quickly. Thomas’s fists clenched. “I’m Newt.”

 

Theresa smiled brightly. “Thomas’s best friend, right? I’m glad to meet you. I’ve been telling Tom we should all meet each other.”

 

“Have you now?” New drawled and Thomas flinched and avoided the other boys gaze. In truth, Thomas hadn’t really…talked to Newt about Theresa. Well, he hadn’t told him that they were doing more than casually dating. Now that he thought about it, Newt had never been around when he mentioned the girl to Sonya, Minho, or any of their friends.

  
“Well, since we’re all here now, why don’t we all do something together?” Sonya asked, smiling as she flipped her long hair over her shoulders. Thomas grimaced as he saw Theresa’s grin fall.

 

“Well, it’s our-“

 

“Sure!” Thomas said quickly, trying to ignore the way Newt’s eyes narrowed as Theresa slipped her hand into his. “Sounds like fun.”

 

Theresa huffed loudly. “Tom! It’s our one-month anniversary! I thought we could do something together.”

 

Thomas turned to her and smiled softly. She really was gorgeous with her pale skin, long dark hair, and dark blue eyes. “We can do something together later tonight. It’ll be fun.” Theresa’s pink lips formed a pout but she didn’t say another word as Thomas turned toward Sonya. “What were you thinking?”

 

She smiled and reached over to pull her brother with her as she began to walk. “The Farmers Market is open. I haven’t been in so long…since we moved, actually. We used to have so much fun. It’ll be like reliving old times!”

 

Thomas’s mind flashed to the many Saturday’s Thomas, Newt, Sonya and their friends would spend walking around the Farmers Market. It was true that they always had fun looking at the different things for sale. And trying the food that the people were selling. His stomach rumbled at the thought. “Sounds good. I haven’t been there in a while either.”

 

“Ah, missed us too much to go without us, huh?” Sonya teased. Thomas laughed along with her and the four slowly made their way toward the area where the market was set up every week.

 

“Sure, we’ll go with that. It could also have something to do with the fact that in high school I had track practice every Saturday morning.”

 

“I like my reason better.”

 

Thomas rolled his eyes as he chuckled. Theresa cleared her throat loudly and Thomas frowned as he turned toward her. She smiled. “So you all used to come here together?”

 

Thomas nodded. “Yeah. Newt and I have been best friends for… well, as long as I can remember. So I knew Sonya too-“

 

“Rude, Thomas.”

 

“-and we would come here with our friends when we were young. Newt and Sonya moved the summer before we started high school and we kind of lost touch for a few years,” Thomas admitted as he gave his girlfriend a quick rundown of their history. “I was shocked to see Newt in my classes during our first semester. It was like nothing had changed.” _Well, then it was. But now…well, ten years ago I never imagined I’d have sex with my best friend. God, how are we ever going to get past this?_

Best not to mention that bit.

 

“Wow, such a coincidence!” Theresa thought out loud.

 

Thomas chuckled. “I guess. I mean, we had both talked about University before we lost contact. I guess we just never changed our minds.”

 

“Speak for yourself. I just couldn’t get accepted anywhere else.”

 

“Bullshit,” Thomas called instantly, knowing his best friends’ grades were better than his own. He paused once he realized what he had done. He hadn’t even thought before he responded, it was completely instinctual.

 

Maybe their friendship would be okay after all.


End file.
